Eye of Power
by BrooHoo
Summary: Basically Chloris,bad name i know, is a kickass character that everyone resents. This is actually an origional work in progress and not tamora pierce, but my other stories are along her lines. Constructive criticism only. Read, enjoy, and Review!
1. Chapter 1

1

Chloris looked around her and at her companions with suspicion. Their eyes were hooded and half their faces were shadowed by heavy cloaks pulled up over their heads to keep out the torrents of rain. She bit her lip and huddled closer into the saddle, uncomfortably shifting the glass ball in her lap, painfully thumping her knee. The trees seemed to be closing in. Chloris could barely see the path in front of her as gales of wind blew rain into her face.

She absently stroked the glass ball with one thumb as she peered into the darkness. Even while she was sick of the long trek and stiff from the days in the saddle she feared stopping for rest. She suspected an attack. Tonight was the perfect night for an ambush, she could hardly see. But, then again, she needn't depend on sight. She looked back down at the globe, catching a dim reflection of herself. Chloris looked away. She already knew what she would see. Black hair pasted to pale skin, covering her steel grey eyes. She had never seen them when they were red, but her gaze was intense and it was one of the things people feared most about her and the rest of her kin.

The sharp snap of a twig to her right alerted Chloris, making her stop short.

What was out there?

She quickly replaced the globe in her waist pack and held up right hand for halt, while she groped with her left for her crossbow. She nocked a bolt.

There was a rustle of damp leaves and the now audible slap of steps along the wet track.

Chloris swung her crossbow up, loosing a bolt and nocking another after it.

The bolt hit its target with a loud thump. Chloris urged her horse forward to see what they had hit, squinting through the rain.

A tree. She had hit a tree.

She hadn't missed with her crossbow in years. She had calculated the wind, and the rain. The only way she could have missed, even with the low visibility, was if nothing was there to miss. But that wasn't it, she was sure something had been there.

Another rustle.

Chloris jerked up again and loosed her second bolt. But, again, when she looked, it was a simple stump.

"Retrieve your bolts and stop this nonsense Chloris. We are wasting time."

Chloris turned to see which of her companions had spoken and saw that neither of them had moved or had even a hand on their daggers. She grimaced and then turned away, dismounting from her horse abruptly. _They let me make a fool of myself! _She thought indignantly, _who do they think I am?_

With a sigh she braced her foot against the first tree to wrench the bolt free. That did not work, however, they were imbedded too deeply. Cursing, she felt for her dagger and began to hack it loose. She let her anger run into her hands as she worked furiously. Anger at being cold, anger at the rain, anger at her companions, anger at the council that had forced her to go on this stupid errand, and anger because she was what she was. At times this great anger was her drive.

Chloris was moving on to her second bolt when a blur of movement came at her from her right. Her weak side. Before she could react she was on the ground with a dagger pressed to her throat almost noiselessly. A cold hand covered her mouth. Not that she could cry out any ways; the dagger was pressed too closely to her throat. She dimly registered the warm trickle of blood running down her neck. Then, with sharp clarity she realized that she was out of sight range of her companions.

She was in an impossible situation. She couldn't die, she carried the glass ball, and, as troublesome as it was, she had been charged with the delivery of it. Her only option was to fight until death.

Chloris slowly clenched her free hand, preparing her move. She drained her mind from her body and prepared to fight by her reflexes. Quick as lightning she snatched at her captor's hand, aiming a kick at his stomach with her left leg. With satisfaction she felt the pressure come away from her neck. Using the opening, she stood up, panting. If she turned her back and ran it would have been the end. She palmed a throwing knife and hid it in the folds of her torn cloak.

He came at her again with incredible speed.

She threw, but he dodged just as quickly, coming at her low and fast. Once again she had absolutely no time to react. She doubled over, as he knocked the wind out of her with one punch, and, once again, she was on the ground, this time with her arms pinned to her sides, and two daggers crossed over her throat.

"Will you hold still already," he panted, "I have to tell you something."

His voice caught Chloris off-guard. It was tired and solemn.

"It seems," she said quietly, barely moving her mouth, so as to escape being cut, "I am in no position to refuse."

She thought she registered a smile, but it was fleeting and could have been her imagination.

"Though," she added disdainfully, "you may tell, but that doesn't mean I will listen."

"Your sarcasm will get you killed later in life," was the equally scornful reply.

"Do you intend to make that a prediction or a threat?"

"Both, actually. I find you to be extremely loathsome."

"Is that what you had to tell me?"

"No, what I have to tell you is much more important, but first we have to get you away from these equally loathsome companions of yours."


	2. Chapter 2

2

"_Take it. Honestly Chloris, if you don't take this mission I will be forced to suspend you from you duties until further notice."_

_Chloris looked down. She wouldn't mind if Rand did that. She didn't like her duties as a warrior of the city. That would be all the inspiration she needed to go and live a quiet life somewhere else._

"_I know what you're thinking; it won't happen. I will be prepared to take drastic measures to make sure you don't run away. You don't want that do you?"_

"_You can't assign a guard battalion to me!" Chloris' usually calm voice rose in alarm._

"_Can and will. Chloris," he paused, sweeping long black hair away from his face, "this mission, is vitally important. Only you can carry this burden. You know this because of what you are."_

_Chloris clenched both fists tight to her sides and stared hard into the wall behind Rand's face. Why did he, of all people have to keep reminding her?_

"_Your skills are best served in battle and I am reluctant to let you go-"_

"_Then send someone else."_

"_But," he continued without hesitation, "however I look at it you are the only one that can go. All your abilities will need to be used to get the artifact to where it is needed."_

"_My abilities," Chloris scoffed, "are second rate compared to others of **my kind** as you so respectfully call them. The powers in my bloodstream are not pure. They are tainted. I am weak. Compared to others of my race I am nothing but a child. And **you **know this as well."_

"_But, compared to most you are abnormally skilled." Rand's eyes flashed. "Listen to me, I'm arguing with one of my soldiers. My order should be enough. You're spoiled Chloris."_

"_I do try."_

"_Take it. That's an order, not a request." Rand spun on his heal and called as he walked stiffly away, "You know what will happen if you don't."_

If Rand only knew what had happened to her. Would he have sent her on this mission if he knew that this had happened?

Chloris had been right to suspect an attack. Her foresight was unclear because of the taint in her blood, but she had seen an attack.

_Chloris' cheek stung. The slap had landed hard. She looked with loathing at the woman that had caused her so much grief; her mother._

_Chloris wouldn't cry, she hadn't cried since she was a small infant; instead she had learned to hate. _

_Her mother shrank from her gaze. "You monster!" she cried, "go cast your horrific gaze on someone else!"_

_Chloris drew her tall, willowy frame up and stared straight into her mother's eyes. The woman's pupils contracted with fear. Chloris' gray eye flashed red._

"_If I am such a monster," Chloris said calmly in her multi-toned voice, "you would have cast me out long ago. Unless you were too afraid."_

_Her cowering mother trembled and looked away. "As I thought." Chloris spun on her heal and strode out of the cottage door. Little did she know that it would be the last time she would ever see her mother again._

Sometimes Chloris cursed her mother for bringing her into the world, other times she cursed her mothers influence on her blood- inheritance. If it hadn't been for her Chloris would have had all the abilities of her father's bloodline. Instead she had inherited her mother's human blood. Her mother had ruined her life. If she had been born to another of her father's kind she would have been accepted by his race. Instead she was hated by both. She was the curse nobody wanted. Except Rand…

Chloris shook her head. Rand would loose faith in her if he saw her now, on her back, pinned to the ground by two daggers, only two, rain pouring over her, drenching her clothes and black hair, pasting them to her skin. She closed her eyes, waiting for what was to come. He wouldn't kill her, she knew. If he wanted to, he could have murdered her from a distance, not putting himself in danger.

"If you promise not to move, I might tell you what I'm going to do." Once again the man's voice caught her off guard.

Chloris sighed. "If I lie?"

"You won't move anyway."

Chloris' eyes opened in surprise. "How so?"

In response he removed both daggers and then hauled her roughly against a tree. Grimly he bound her against the tree, then, for good measure he put the daggers back into their original position. "You won't move now, will you?"

Chloris cursed, her voice becoming louder and multi-toned with anger. Her steal gray eye flashed red, as she prepared to call upon her power…

"I wouldn't do that."

"How would you know?"

"Fine, do it and discover why for yourself. And," he continued, "it won't do you any good if you raise your voice, only I will be able to hear you."

Chloris' anger flared, and then sputtered. "Wha… what?" Then she felt it. Her throat constricted, her breathing grew short, her heart beating became irregular, and her vision began to blur. She tried to push her body's reactions to the back of her mind, but even this simple power was unavailable to her. In response her reactions became worse. Her hearing was becoming fuzzy…

"I told you so."

Her captor's voice cut through the fog in her body. Suddenly, the illusion snapped. Her body slowly came back to normal, and she could dimly grasp what was happening to her.

"You're controlling my mind." The multi-tones of her voice were gone. Her voice sounded slurred and forced.

A grim laugh from her captor. "Now you have no choice but to listen to what I have to tell you." He could see her eye dimming from its red cast back to its steal gray. "But first, as I said before you gave me all that trouble I have to get rid of your two tag-a-longs."

Suddenly Chloris' sight sharpened as if of its own will and she knew he was controlling her again. It sped towards her companions at a dizzying rate through the rain. They were still there. They hadn't moved. Chloris registered that all that had happened must have happened in only a few minutes if not seconds.

Suddenly the front-most companion toppled off of his horse, blood pooling from his throat where, it appeared, one of her crossbow bolts had struck him. He was dead. The other of her companions wheeled his horse and set off at a full gallop back down the trail from which they had come. To Chloris' surprise he wasn't killed. His murder wasn't even attempted.

Just as suddenly as it had happened her sight returned to normal. The man was returning, her crossbow in hand. He removed both daggers and cut her bonds, catching Chloris just as she sagged to the ground.

Merrick smiled. His captive was drained from the manipulation of her mind. It didn't matter. She would sleep for a day or two, and that would give him enough time to get her away and set the scene for those that would come for her.

He leaned her against the tree to which she had been bound, tying her hands just incase she woke early, and went to go find her horse. He brought the animal back and tied it to a low branch where it could get to grass easily. Then he left again.

He searched the body of her fallen companion. Hidden within his cloak was a vial of powder, undoubtedly poison, smiling her pocketed that, along with his weapons.

He returned to Chloris a moment later. He hauled her up onto the horse easily, then untied it and mounted behind her. Without hesitation Merrick galloped away from the site, cutting through the woods and heading northeast.

"_What's wrong with you Chloris? I would have expected more! Shoot!"_

_Chloris' right eye was sore. "I don't know if I want to Rand," she said sheepishly, lowering her crossbow._

"_It's not a matter of what you want Chloris- it's what I'm ordering to do. Soldiers follow orders," Rand roared, "shoot!'_

"_I'm not a soldier," Chloris mumbled._

"_What did you say Chloris, maybe you should speak up so that everyone in the training yard can hear?"_

_Chloris rolled her eyes. Rand's temper was short. With a sigh she looked at the sky in a careless manner and yelled, "I said, incase no one heard the first time, that I am not one to take orders. I am not a soldier!" She looked back down at Rand's face in delight, waiting for an explosion. _

_Rand looked like he wanted to punch her. He stood fuming for a moment before he met her eyes calmly. "Fine. Two can play the same game." He turned and called over his shoulder for his attendant to bring a crossbow and bolts._

"_What are you doing?" she cried, shocked that he had calmed down so quickly._

"_Playing your game," he repeated stubbornly, meeting her eyes again._

_Chloris took an involuntary step back. Not many people met her mismatched eyes unless she made them to. Yet, he met her's with a challenge and full confidence. She wasn't used to it. _

"_What are you going to do to play **my** game then?" _

_As an answer he leveled the bow and loosed a bolt, hitting the center of the target without taking time to aim. He tossed his head. "You aren't going to lose to me are you?" he asked mischievously._

_Chloris sighed, knowing what she was walking into. She considered losing face with all the people in the yard and refusing his obvious challenge. Then, resigning herself, she raised her crossbow and nocked a bolt. "I don't take losing well." She carefully took aim and fired, then nocked another and fired again, and another. All of her bolts clustered neatly around Rand's bolt._

"_See," he said, the victory plain in his face, "if you try you do well." _

"_Not nearly as well as if let me use my left side."_

_Rand scratched his neck. "Back to this again?" He sighed. "I thought we were over this. To become a strong fighter, you need to be able to use both sides of your body equally well. I know you would have split my arrow and every arrow after that if I would have allowed you to use your eye. But," he rolled his eyes and laughed, "I don't want you to go back to only being able to use your left hand or side for everything. You don't want that do you? You depend on that eye of yours too much."_

Chloris' eyes fluttered. She should have listened to Rand and not used her left side for anything at all, even taking his advice and wearing an eye-patch. She rolled over, preparing to go back to sleep.

She sat bolt upright.

Chloris wasn't in her bed. Her eyes darted around.

She was propped against a tree on the side of a small clearing. Her hands were bound, her hair was unwashed, and her skin was muddy and scratched. She rolled over, trying to feel with her back where the globe was. It was gone! She began to breathe hard, groping for her dagger frantically. It too was gone.

Chloris' felt a sudden stab in her stomach. She curled up on her side quivering. What had happened came in a flood. The capture and the killing of her companions, the manipulation of her mind…

Chloris became nauseated. Before she knew it she was on her knees retching in the grass.

A cool hand on her back.

She heaved once more, and then looked up. It was the man. Involuntarily, she shrugged off his hand and cringed away against the tree, eyes flicking back and forth nervously.

Instead of calming her or striking at her, he simply turned away and started talking. "You've slept for roughly one and a half days. The sleep and the sickness are a result of having your mind manipulated. The reactions are usually the worst the first time it happens. I have a few questions to ask you when you calm down, and I'm sure you have a few to ask me, not that I'll answer them. Once more if you calm down I'll let you wash your face and hair in the creek at the other end of the clearing, then you can eat some food and have a drink, fair?"

His careless tone surprised Chloris. He treated her as if nothing had happened in the previous days. He treated her as if she was a clueless, obedient puppy, the kind that wouldn't question orders. She hated orders. That kind of treatment irked her.

She opened her mouth to utter a curse and a retort, when he turned back towards her. "I see your temper is back to normal," he said just as carelessly.

Chloris was taken aback. She looked up into his face. He met her eyes. Her temper immediately abated. She didn't like when people met her eyes, but she didn't look away.

Her captor had white blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He looked to be in his late twenties. He was both tall and muscular. He had an intimidating manner with an air of silent power. Despite the heat he wore a heavy cloak of black that covered his neck and clothes. She searched his face, and then let her eyes wander. They lingered for a time on the thick black gauntlets he wore. No skin, but that on his face could be seen. She immediately pushed the facts to the back of her mind to summon later. He was probably dressed that way for the task of capturing her in the dark.

Her eyes traveled back up to his face and she became aware that he had been aware of her watching him. He shook his head slightly, and instantly she dismissed the thought- or had he dismissed it for her? Her frustration began to mount again. Chloris began to run her hands through her tangled hair with her nervous energy. Or tried, her hands were bound. She sighed heavily. It was troublesome to have to worry about what she was thinking all the time, and to wonder if the thought had been put there!

The man chuckled.

Chloris looked up again quickly, and then looked away when he caught her eye. If he knew her thoughts, then he could see her movements and her intentions then counter them, she had no way to escape. The possibilities were grim.

She let her analytical thinking take over. She could stay for a while, befriend this person or whatever, and when he lost vigilance she could run away. That was a weak prospect; this person was the professional type that viewed kidnapping like a job. She could go along with what he wanted then kill him later; but again this seemed unlikely. She doubted that she could combat with him. Or…. she closed her eyes…..or, she could kill herself. The globe certainly wouldn't get to its destination, but the information she carried would die with her, it wouldn't get to the enemy. This was grim, but it seemed to be the best option.

A soft tap on her forehead.

Chloris opened her eyes and instinctively swatted the hand away.

"Those thoughts aren't wise, and it tires me so to try to keep up with you. You should really just go and wash up."

Chloris didn't even bother to get frustrated or bewildered. She was gradually getting used to this man's behavior. With some effort she stood and took some time to steady her uneasy feet. He cut the thick rope that bound her hands. Then, slowly, she stumbled towards the sound of the creek. She was relieved he didn't help her or follow her. She needed some time away from this man's alarming abilities.

Merrick watched her go. When her back was turned, he self-consciously tugged his cloak tighter up onto his neck and began to gather wood for a fire. He would savor his time by the fire for now, but soon search parties would be out.

He leaned back against a tree. Thoughtfully, he stirred the flames.


	3. Chapter 3

_3_

Chloris sat on the edge of the small stream, letting her fingers become numb in the chilling water. She relaxed to the soothing bubbling of the stream, letting the sun shine full on her face. She switched hands, running the other through her hair to dampen it. Then she rolled over on her stomach. Cupping water in her palms she splashed it onto her face. The cold water made her shiver, but not unpleasantly, waking her up.

She pulled away from the water to sit a little distance away against a tree, pulling her hair from her face as she went. Chloris knew she had been avoiding unpleasant thoughts, and they confronted her now. Her peace of mind evaporated.

Why had she been captured? What did this man, or the people he worked for want with her? How did the man's alarming abilities work, and did they have a limit? Why had he killed only one of her companions?

She began to breathe hard, suddenly aware that it was getting dark. Her eyes flicked nervously around. Would she have no serenity? If this man invaded her thoughts all of the time, what could she keep to herself? She began to shiver violently, this time from more than just cold. Death would be better than someone prying into every thought or whim that she had. She began to weep, quietly at first, then louder, until it was a howl.

One part of Chloris would have been surprised at her outbreak of emotions. After all, she hadn't cried since she was a babe. But that part was distant. She shook and shook, sobbing uncontrollably. After what seemed like forever, the sobs became silent. Now, she dully forced the emotions into the back of her mind, ignoring them, until she became somewhat rational again. She wouldn't let him see his victory. _Give him no reason to suspect weakness,_ she thought, ignoring the fact that he could probably see the raw emotions behind the dreary wall in her mind.

Chloris scrubbed her eyes with the clean parts of her cloak. When she was sure that all of the tear stains were gone, she made her way back to camp.

When the dim ashes of the campfire came into view, she strained her eyes. The man seemed to be asleep. For a moment, thoughts of escape flicked through her mind. It would be easy. If she was quick she could make her way back towards the city.

Instantly her thoughts were shattered. She had no supplies, she would starve. And her still had the globe. The prospect of returning without completing her mission was worse than starvation in the forest.

Chloris slowly made her way toward the fire, and he stirred, opening his dark eyes.

"Are you hungry," he asked. "There's some dried meat in the packs."

"I don't know," she said bitterly in response, "am I hungry?"

"No. But I thought you might like to chew something, it helps boredom."

She turned away and busied herself with digging through the packs, so that he wouldn't see the tears prickling her eyes. Why was she being so emotional all of a sudden? Chloris found what she was looking for and closed back the pack. When she felt the tears subside, she turned back and settled as far away from the man as possible.

Merrick felt the surge of emotion and ignored it. He stirred the gleaming ashes until they produced a small flame again, then he settled back against the tree and began to doze.

When he awoke again it was completely dark. The fire was out, but that wasn't what woke him. Chloris was gone.

Chloris, unlike her captor, had not fallen asleep. She had watched him, waiting until his breathing became even, then began to busily rummage through the packs. She never found the globe. She hadn't really expected to. After all he had sent her rummaging through the very same packs for food. Any good criminal would have kept his treasure with him. But she did find food and supplies. If she ran away now, perhaps she could attack with the element of surprise later.

Chloris drew the dirty cloak around her like a shadow. She thought about taking her crossbow and dagger from where they sat next to the man, but decided not to. It would have risked too much.

She made her way to the river. From there, Chloris knew, a city was to the south, all she had to do was follow the river towards it.

It was a plan with many holes in it, but it was all she had.


	4. Chapter 4

_4_

Rand was in his cold study, pacing nervously. Would the mission succeed? He refused to think of what would happen if it didn't. After all, Chloris was in charge of it. _Yes,_ he decided, _nothing could go wrong._ He forced himself to stop and light a fire in the hearth. Chloris was the best of the best.

When the flames caught, he sat down behind his desk and began to compose a letter that he knew he would never send. He suppressed the surge of emotion that was welling up in his chest, not knowing what it was about.

_Forget about it,_ he thought. _Don't let the men see your apprehension. Yes, everything will be alright. _

Chloris was moving fast and was sure she was being followed. _Damn his tracking skills, _she thought irritably. It had rained in the last day or so, she was soaked to the bone and the path she had chosen by the river was thick with mud. Her footprints showed clearly behind her and she faced a difficult decision.

Chloris could decrease her speed and hide her trail more thoroughly, or increase her speed. She chose to hide her trail.

When she reached a shallow part in the river, she forded, and then backtracked for a good half hour through the water. Then she got out and began to walk again. A fog was beginning to settle, and her chill was becoming worse. After walking for a while more she realized it was becoming dark and found a slightly less damp place to pitch camp.

She was up early the next day, making sure that when she got to the place she had forded the river at, that she skirted the banks by a long way, then with all haste, she continued along the river, more carefully this time, but with more urgency.

At that very moment, another person was moving with, if possible, more urgency, and a great deal more fear. In the past days of blind flight, the man's horse had fallen and broken its leg. Without thought, he had lurched off of it. Grabbing his saddle bags, he continued through the forest at an insane pace. He refused to rest until, each night; he collapsed on the ground, panting and unable to go any farther. In the morning he would jerk into wakefulness, more alarmed then before. He barely ate. By the time he reached the outskirts of the nearest town, he was weak from dehydration and exhaustion.

The farmer that found him had thought he was dead. When he saw the small rise and fall of the man's chest, he called for help, and quickly hauled him to his home.

Sun pooled through the window at the foot of his bed, waking him up. Stephen blinked it out of his eyes startled. Calm radiated through his surroundings, but he still felt uneasy. Part of the reason for his worry was the curious weakness of his body. It left him feeling helpless in an unfamiliar place. He could barely remember what had happened to him. There were vague memories of being fed by someone with a rough, but calming voice. But more than anything, he remembered the bolt.

It had been _her_ crossbow bolt that had killed James. He recalled it in slow motion, how she had been curiously nervous, how she had shot at nothing, and gone to retrieve her crossbow bolts. They were cold and shivering. He was wondering what had taken her so long when it had happened.

It had killed James in a split second, speeding directly through his throat and imbedding itself into the tree behind him. It was enough to make even a hardened soldier like Stephen sick.

James was his brother, though most couldn't see the relation. Stephen was taller and fairer while James was stout and dark. _That_ _traitorous bitch! _He could never hold with the eyes of her's. But Rand had trusted her and he had been forced to as well. As far as he had been concerned she was trouble, a sorceress that had enchanted their commander.

This had only confirmed his beliefs. She would take the globe and run, using it for her own benefits. A cold rage welled up in his belly. He would kill her, he knew. Revenge was the only thing that would satisfy him now.

Chloris sighted the town by the end of the fifth day; a field of lights in the darkness. She could hardly hold back her satisfaction. Steadily she pressed on until she reached the gates.

It was getting dark, and she knew curfew would soon be in force. She rapped smartly on the gate, when the gatekeeper peered through, she suddenly felt self-conscious. She must look terrible.

"Wha' ya wan'," he growled glancing fearfully behind her. "No'un s'posed to come in aft' dark."

"You have to help me," Chloris panted, feigning alarm. She didn't have to try hard. "There's this man, he's after me, and I couldn't possibly stay in the dark outside. Please," she begged, trying to make herself small, looking down to the ground so he wouldn't see her eyes, "please, if you will only let me in I won't cause any trouble." She was quivering from the cold. She hoped it would look like fear.

"Sorry, miss. I's your plight, no' mine. We don' wan' any'un comin' in here of unsav'ry nature."

Chloris's eyes flashed underneath her hood. It was taking all of her control not to overpower this selfish man. When she responded her voice was thick with anger. It quivered with it. Perhaps, if she summoned tears. "But, sir, I'm so frightened. Help me please."

Apparently he had misread her emotions, because he said, "now don' cry. I guess, mayhap this time, it'll be alright."

She bit back a sigh of relief as he unbolted the door. She passed him, ignoring the temptation to kill him.

"Now, don' say anythan abou' me to the guards if they catch ya aft' curfew."

Chloris restrained herself from uttering a retort. "I won't, don't worry."

She strode away, keeping herself hidden in the shadows, muttering under her breath with contempt against human selfishness and greed.


	5. Chapter 5

_5_

Chloris knew it was too late to find an inn, but being inside a walled city made her feel that much better. She would have to find a doorway or alley shielded from the night. If she didn't fall asleep, she would probably last the night.

Grimly she flitted from door to door around the city, ducking into shadows as the watch crept past. Finally she found an ally that housed nothing else with a shadowed doorway. After checking to make sure there was another way out of her hiding place then the one she just came through, she settled herself in for another sleepless night.

Being part dark elf, she needed less sleep than even the toughest person; it was just because of this that she had survived the long trek through the forest. Even so, she was exhausted, and, even though she tried her best to keep it at bay, sleep took her.

_A beautiful lake smooth as glass._

_She gazed into it, enthralled by its splendor. The smoothness puzzled her, inviting her to stare into its depths. She leaned forward, trying to see the bottom of it. _

_What mysteries did it hold?_

_She crept closer towards the edge. _

_Where was her reflection? _

_Forward she leaned so she could see better. Her hair fell forward and brushed the surface._

_Sluggishly, ripples formed on the water, curiously larger than they should be. Suddenly apprehension seized her. Something told her that the lake should not have been disturbed. _

_Hurriedly she tried to back away, but was held by a strange force. Unable to move, she stared unwillingly into the waters depths. _

_Shock seized her as the water formed a shape. Terror apprehended her as she realized what it was. A man, black hair pasted to his scalp by blood, was sprawled against a chair. Blood soaked his chair. His eyes were an unseeing blue, fogged over by pain. A dark figure stood over him._

_She screamed as she saw the figure raise a knife. Horrified, she tried to claw herself away from the edge. But to her dismay she was drawn forward, dragged helplessly, she fell in._

_The iron smell of death filled her nostrils. Breath left her, and sorrow filled her. The unseeing eyes of the now dead man filled her vision…_

Chloris woke wet and with a cough. Sometime during the night her hood had fallen down, and water dripped into her eyes from her soaked hair. Her bones were stiff form the unprotected cold and they cracked when she moved. She would have to find a place to clean up so that she could travel in an easier, more respectable way.

First she would have to find an inn that she would be inconspicuous in. she pulled her cloak over her eyes so that no one could see them. She swept out of the alley wringing out the ends of her cloak as she went. It was still early, but she could feel the town coming alive around her. Women opened the shutters of houses, men starting out to market, beggars leaving doorways for street corners. Chloris didn't want to alienate herself as an outsider by asking questions, but she had to find an inn.

She made sure that the cloak was pulled well over her eyes before she stopped a jolly looking man for directions. He looked her up and down and told her that the inn she wanted was an old one up the street.

_I must look awful, _she thought wryly.

She followed the man's instructions to a dark building with an ominous sign swinging in an unseen breeze. The sign read, The Black Sand._ Well, _she thought, _at least I'll blend in._

Self-consciously, Chloris pulled her cloak around her as best she could. With her hand on her dagger she stepped through the door.

The smell of smoke and alcohol assaulted her senses, but this was no loud boisterous place. There was little to no light and very few customers. All seemed to be hunched in brooding silence over their drinks. Black cloaks were a commonplace item, and from the look on the bartender's face, people like this were not a new occurrence.

She sat at the counter as far from the other customers as she could manage intent on getting a room as quickly as she could.

The bartender strode over, eyes narrowed, a dirty polishing cloth in his hand. Under the pretense of polishing the counter, Chloris saw the innkeeper sizing her up.

She was about to say something when he spoke. His voice made the hair on Chloris' neck stand on end. A _bad_ sign.

"'s not off'n tha females come inta this here fine inn."

A quiet chuckle swept through the room, followed by the thud of a glass being set down. A tall man came to sit down beside her.

Chloris stiffened, hand going back to her dagger, pulling it halfway out of its sheath beneath her cloak.

"wha' ya be wan'n with us folk?" the bartender continued.

Keeping one eye on the man next to her, she replyed, "I am looking for a safe place to clean up and stay for a couple of days. After that I will move on. That's all." She was beginning to wish she had never come.

"But, " she added as an afterthought, " I can find somewhere else."

"Of course," said the innkeeper with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "once ya show us that face of yours."

Chloris started. She fought to keep her voice calm as she said, "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Yur aweful pale, do ya ever take tha' cloak off?"

Chloris stood and backed away until she hit the wall behind her. The other people stood as well, and their eyes followed her.

"Look," she said, "I _will_ find another place to stay, honestly."

"Sorry, I'm afraid we can' do tha' 'un."

With frantic eyes, Chloris began to count the people in the shadows. Ten.

"Why not." She was keeping them talking while she edged towards the door. They moved slowly to surround her.

"Cause ya know this place exists."

_Damn, _thought Chloris, _I walked in on some conspiracy._

A calm voice surprised her. "Please," it was the man next to her, "if you cooperate you might be safe."

She eyed the group. It seemed that all chance of talking her way out of this was past. She settled into a fighters crouch.

He held out his hands. "come now," he continued, "is it so hard to pull back your hood for a minute? Besides there is ten of us and one of you. Use common sense."

Chloris could see that there was no getting out of this situation by peaceful means, what was to stop them from reporting her to the town guard after seeing her eye? She reached towards her hood, but instead unsheathed the dagger around her neck and charged into the group. Even with her sight and quick reflexes she knew it was a losing battle before she started, but she continued. It was when the bartender ran up behind her and knocked her cloak off that something strange happened.

She whirled to face the next attack, but none came. There was a collective gasp, which she expected, what she hadn't anticipated, however, was the man in front of her's reaction.

"God's who are you?"

She recognized the voice of the man that had told her that she was outnumbered. His voice was not calm anymore, it was more of a shocked murmur. He took a step forward.

She slashed her dagger in the air in front of her to keep him away. The sight of her furry must have brought him to his senses.

"You will be safe here," he said with a distracted smile. "Follow me."

Chloris bent to pick up her cloak. Then, keeping her eyes on the group and the dagger in her hand, she followed the man up a set of stairs into a dim hallway.

Chloris resettled her cloak around her shoulders, he then led her through a dark doorway. She followed slowly, making sure that the door didn't swing fully shut behind her.

The room was plain, but not shabby. A small bed was in the corner and a dresser and a mirror were against the wall. A latched window opened up to the wall of the next building.

Chloris sharpened her Eye's sight so that she could see through the shadows in the corners. There was nothing but cobwebs and a chair.

He pulled up the chair for her and sat on the bed. She made sure it was a good length from him.

"First," he said, seeming to have regained his control, "we will both put down our weapons." He took his a dagger from his belt and through it into a cobweb infested corner.

Chloris didn't make a move to do the same. He didn't seem to notice, "Now we will both take of our cloaks and show our faces to each other."

"Wait," Chloris said suddenly, surprising herself, "the only reason that you would throw down your weapon for a stranger is that you have another, less obvious one at your disposal. After seeing my eyes, you know I could take you down with them alone, so you must have something equally as powerful. Tell me what it is first."

There was a strong bitter tone to his voice when he answered, "I had hoped that you would trust me. It would have made my explanation easier."

"I have not gotten through my life by trusting anyone," she retorted.

"Yes, I thought it might have been that way, but perhaps it you listen you and I might see eye to eye."

He stood and shrugged his cloak off. As he straitened and shook dark hair out of his eyes, Chloris gasped.

His eyes were both red as blood.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Chloris's first emotion was shock. She stood knocking her chair backwards abruptly. Chloris's second emotion was blind anger. This was her father's race, the one that had outlawed her, that had alienated her. She lunged with a growl at him, but he dodged and she landed on the bed, knocking the wind out of herself.

She got up with a hiss and charged at him again.

With one glare from him she was flung back into a corner.

She sat, partially stunned and gasping for breath, her vision doubling and fading. Her head hurt terribly, and she knew she was still weak from the taxing flight along the river. She didn't even have enough strength to call upon her power.

_Gods, is this the Chloris that Rand trusted, the unbeatable warrior, the unshakable? _Twice in one week she had been rendered helpless and she was sick of it. With the last of her strength she stood, bracing herself against the wall. She tried to reach her dagger but her arms felt extremely heavy.

_Damn, this is happening a lot lately, _she thought as she slid down the wall and into darkness.

Chloris visited the lake again.

This time she didn't venture any closer, she had no desire to see those blank eyes or smell metallic blood for a second time.

But blood was in her dreams anyway.

_Chloris loved to visit the river when she was lonely. It had been so ever since she was young and had figured out that she was different than the other children. She was angry and she found that the best way to chill her anger was to stare at the soothing ripples of the water. _

_She had left her mother cowering against the wall in their small cottage, but it was not her mother's refuse to look her in the eye that bothered her, she had lived like that all of her life, but she had no idea why. Over and over again she told herself that they were just jealous. _

_But jealous of what?_

_She knew she was different, but was it a good thing?_

_Chloris was beginning to realize that perhaps they were not jealous, but afraid._

_Part of Chloris was scornful, **if they are scared, it is no fault of mine.** Another part of Chloris insisted otherwise. She gazed at herself in the pool. Freak, they called her._

_The ripples made her reflection indistinct but her gaze was as unnerving as ever. She averted her eyes. Maybe she **was** a freak. That would only explain the way the old crones glared at her and made signs against evil behind her back; why the village children always ran or jeered from afar, why even her own mother didn't love her…_

_Hot anger, like fire coursed through her veins. **Let them be afraid, they had a reason to be. Let them see the freak now!** She straitened and glared defiantly into the water; **let them see her for what she was.** She would show them. With the anger fresh in her blood, she started back towards the village._

_Someone was screaming._

_Fire. Burning. Blood._

_Chloris cast about in shock, who would do such a thing?_

_Fire. Burning. Blood._

_From all about things bombarded Chloris's senses. Smells of charred flesh, screaming filled her ears, and flames filled her sight. Things were indistinct, blurred images, like she was viewing things from underwater._

_Chloris sank to her knees, then to fell face first in the dirt. The world was spinning around her, people were running about her, but somehow she knew that they would not escape the flames._

Chloris awoke sweating.

Then fell back on a bed, into twisted sheets.

A bed? She was running- how would she get to a bed?

Chloris sat up as quickly as she could, regretting it immediately as a livid headache seized her. With double vision she peered short-sightedly about the room.

Her surroundings seemed vaguely familiar; perhaps it was the smell, or the feeling of the bed, the vibrations in the air. With a lurch her vision blurred and she was doubling over, clutching her stomach. It was only by force of will that she didn't vomit all over the sheets. With a groan she lay back down trying not to concentrate on anything to hard for fear of infuriating her headache.

Her vision doubled as she stared at the ceiling, occasionally black spots speckled the view, and presently she fell back asleep.

Chloris struggled into wakefulness a second time. She had heard familiar voices, voices that brought memories, but she didn't know of what. But it was a losing battle. There was a cool cloth on her head and overwhelming exhaustion.

The sun licked the branches of the trees. Merrick allowed himself a small smile. The warm weather was a welcome surprise after the dismalness of the rain. The forest smelled fresh and was alive.

Absently he sent his mind forth in every direction. The quiet intelligence of animals flew up to meet him. Compared to the subtleties of the human mind, listening to the simple thoughts of animals was always refreshing.

Yet, on the edge of the quiet music lay a buzzing of intellect. Even from far away he could sense that there were a great number of people ahead. Based on his knowledge, this would be one of Leighton's smaller, walled towns. Calmly he assembled walls about his conscience. The buzzing of hundreds of human minds would get annoying after a while.

Tonight would be the last night for a while when he could listen freely to the animals and camp under the stars. His prey, he knew, was very close, and the weather was now changing.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Merrick had no trouble getting through the gate, nor did he suspect that he would. It had been a simple matter to insert a subtle suggestion into the guards' minds that he was a simple farmer, coming to visit his relatives there.

_In fact, hadn't they seen him before?_

It wouldn't do to be recognized.

The weather suited him well; the constant drizzle and frigid air gave him an excuse to pull his hooded cloak tightly over his unkempt hair. Dodging his way among bodies trying to find shelter among numerous buildings, he swept the area for Chloris' mental signature. If she was here, she was lost among the buzz of many other conscious minds.

Somehow Merrick didn't mind the challenge of finding her; sometimes it grew old to take shortcuts. He stopped to think.

Chloris would have found an inn to stay in after many nights on the run. Staying at an inn would give an opportunity to rest and recuperate before she tried to contact Rand.

Merrick began to search the town in a grid-like pattern. He stopped at every inn he came across and explored each innkeeper's mind for anyone with the description of Chloris. Than he would erase himself from each of the men's minds. Tirelessly and with great patience he searched, until he came across an inn, he sensed, was unlike any other.

Chloris' headache began to subside on the afternoon of the third day of staying in bed. It had been explained to her that she had a concussion and that she was to stay in bed until she was deemed well again.

Chloris had resented being ordered around like a child, but she felt too weak to object.

A knock sounded at her door, and the dark elf came in bearing a tray of bread and chicken broth. She accepted it from him, and he sat at the foot of her bed.

She eyed him for some moments. His long, dark hair was bound out of his blood red eyes with a leather band, showing a widow's peak. His face was angular and feline-like; with high cheekbones. Even though his face was unlined, she knew he was probably older than he appeared, especially if he was a pure blood. He sat perfectly strait and unmoving, perfectly balanced. His face betrayed no emotion. It became apparent that he wasn't going to speak, so she absorbed herself in devouring her food. She had not realized how hungry she was.

When she finished, he took her tray and moved toward the door. When he reached the threshold he paused, as if sensing Chloris' questioning gaze. He glanced over his shoulder and said in a neutral voice, "I did not mean for you to be injured, but the conditions were against us."

Chloris searched the line of his shoulders, looking for any tension. She couldn't detect any. "What do you mean?" Chloris asked, trying her best to imitate his calm demeanor, although frustration boiled inside of her.

"I mean," he said, turning to face her full on, "that I did not want harm to come to you; I wanted to talk to you, perhaps ascertain how you became as disheveled as you were."

_Why_, Chloris thought, but he must have read her expression, because he set the tray down and came back to sit next to her. His disconcerting gaze drilled into her eyes.

"Because," he said, his voice suddenly intense, "I dreamed about you."

Stephen thanked the farmer profusely for his kindness, but he insisted that he had to leave. He knew the older man had been disappointed not to learn his story, or that he had not even been able to meet his wife, who was due home the next day. But Stephen could not have refused the generous gifts of food and a horse to 'take him wherever he willed'. He grinded his teeth in frustration, he knew he should have left to inform Rand days ago. While he lingered Chloris was getting away.

Finally Stephen bid the farmer his last goodbye and set out at a brisk trot up the road, but soon his impatience got the better of him, and he upped the pace to a canter. After the first few hours, he couldn't take it anymore and spurred his horse to a gallop.

The countryside rushed by. Trees blurred into grass.

He continued at this pace for some time, until he noticed that the sun was low on the horizon. He slowed gradually to a walk, becoming sharply aware how sweat-soaked and out of breath his mount was. He felt a pang of guilt at working the animal so hard and thoughtlessly.

He dismounted and took his steed by the reins to walk him out until he was cool, than he stopped and made camp. Before he went to sleep, he was sure to rub the poor gelding down and hobble him where he could get to grass.

The next day Stephen was much more careful. He could not afford losing his horse. He measured the pace and the distance.

Soon the countryside began to become familiar. Hills of farmland were punctuated by short trees. He crested a hill to look down upon a curving line that was the River Loti, and in its bend was the city of Kelerith, Rand's home.

Rand looked up as he heard a knock on his study door.

"Come in," he called in a distracted manner; who entered, though, was enough to send him into reeling shock.

"_Gods, Stephen!"_

"Aye."

The man before Rand was barely recognizable. His normally cleanshavened face was covered with stubble; his hair, when clean, was normally a white blond, but it was now so dirty it appeared ashy. But most terrifying of all were his eyes. Stephen's eyes, usually filled with barely contained amusement, were haunted, his features tormented.

"What happened to you?"

Stephen laughed bitterly, "We met trouble on the road."

Panic seized Rand, but he contained it, barely. "Wha- Where is Chloris?" He revised his statement, "Where is Chloris and James?"

"James is dead."

Rand fell into his chair. "And…"

Stephen leaned over his leader's desk to rest a hand on his arm. "Chloris was the one that killed him."


	8. Chapter 8

8

A knock sounded at the open door-frame. Chloris looked towards it, glad to break the dark elf's disconcerting gaze. He stood and crossed the room.

Another man stood there, he was hooded and cloaked. They both conferred in whispers for many minutes, there voices getting more agitated by the second. Finally the other man was dismissed and the dark eldf returned.

"Chloris," he said, surprising her with the knowledge of her name. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am well enough," she replied confused.

"I am glad, for we need to leave and quickly. Get dressed while I speak to my men, I will come back for you. Stay quiet." With that he left, sweeping out silently.

Chloris swung out of bed and cast about for her boots and cloak. She donned these, then she crossed over to the dresser. A basin filled with water sat there, she washed her face then ran a wet comb through her hair. After that was done she opened her door and peered down the hall.

It was the same hall she had walked down days before. The stairs to her right led to the common room, she knew. To her left the hall continued until it was enveloped in shadows. She listened hard, she thought she could here a conversation coming from the direction of the common room.

Someone came from the shadows and put a hand on her shoulder. She whirled and, out of habit, groped for her dagger, which she had forgotten she didn't have.

The dark elf raised his eyebrows, his face vaguely amused. "Looking for this?" he quieried quietly, holding her dagger out to her.

She accepted without a word than followed him into the shadows and down a back set of stairs she had not seen. He opened a door that led into an alleyway. He quietly closed the door behind them than lifted his hood to cover his eyes. Chloris did the same.

He put a finger to his lips as she followed him out into the drizzle.

They skirted the inn and walked quickly through a maze of alleys that Chloris knew she would not remember later. She followed him as he weaved in and out of buildings, and finally reached the town square. The square was emty, which was odd, even for this dismal weather, but not overly so.

The dark elf crossed the square and made for another alley. This alley branched into another, than another. As they ventured through the rain, Chloris realized that he must be trying to lose someone. A chill crept down her spine and she looked over her shoulder, but saw nothing.

Than they stopped.

He slid against the wall, feeling for something. _There_. His fingers met a doorframe. He knocked three times loudly than scraped his knuckles across the wood.

The door clicked and he opened it.

Rand clenched his hands until they were as white as bone. Part of him was in denial. _Chloris._ He had trusted her, trained her, and stood up for her. He had _cared _about her. She could never have done such a thing. There was not a traitorous bone in her body.

_But,_ a nasty voice whispered in her head, _she did betray her family. _

Rand remembered the event well.

She had been sick…

_Fever racked Chloris's features, her gray eyes were distant and her vision blurry. Her face was white as chalk, her mouth dry, lips cracked and bleeding. Beads of sweat lined her forhead. Rand had been sitting next to her for the past day, ever since the fever had gotten bad, having just recovered from it himself._

_The fever had swept through the region, bringing with it horrible illusions , 2hipping out towns, but it was said that those that survived it would be immune to it. That was why he attended to Chloris now. He felt somehow responsible for her._

_He had shivered remembering the illusions that had accompanied his sickness. Chloris was in that realm now and he wanted to make sure that she wasn't there alone._

_Chloris sturred and murmered. Than she sat bolt upright eyes blank and staring. Rand wrestled her as carefully as he could back onto the bed, then he sat back, looking hoplessly on as she began to talk, her voice rising into fear. All he could do was hold her hand. He refused to look away, as that would be shameful. _

_Then Chloris began to scream and rant. _

_"WHY, WHY ARE THEY GONE?"_

_Rand didn't bother to respond._

_"MOTHER? MOTHER WHERE ARE YOU?" Tears bagan to stream down Chloris's cheeks. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE? IT BURNS, WHY WON'T IT STOP? HELP ME!"_

_She twisted, wrenching her hand from his grip, curling onto her side. Than her voice turned into a whisper. Rand had to lean forward to hear._

_"Why did I do it? Burning, everyone was burning."_

Rand had never questioned Chloris on the incident, the fevers illusions were nightmares, in which the worst you feared come to pass. Besides, he could have misinterpreted what she had said.

A part of Rand knew he was just searching a reason for Chloris to betray him. The Chloris that had always been beside him, the Chloris that had always supported him in her own sarcastic way.

But for some reason he couldn't believe that such realistic rantings had come out of nothing.

Stephen stared at his commander's face as conflicting emotions ran across it. Stepen made a noise in his throat. "Urm, Sir…"

Rand looked up.

"I'm sorry Stephen, you may leave now."

He could barely conseal his disappointment, he had hoped he would be given permission to find her. But he would have to be patient.


End file.
